LST - El S T

Landing ship tank. A type of landing vessel that can transport tanks, vehicles, personnel, and supplies over long distances, and then land them directly on the coast. It is a box-shaped vessel with a vehicle deck inside the hull, and vehicles can also be loaded on the upper deck. A ramp is installed at the front end of the vehicle deck with a hinged lower end, and a breakwater-structured bow with a double-door door is installed in front of it. After docking on the coast, the gate is opened and the ramp is tilted forward to land vehicles and other loaded items. It was conceived by the British military in 1941 during World War II, and the US military designed it as a ship with a full load displacement of about 4,000 tons and a speed of 11 knots. More than 1,000 were built between 1942 and 1945, and used in landing operations in various areas during the war. After the war, further improvements were made, eventually resulting in a ship with a full load displacement of about 7,000 tons and a speed of 16.5 knots. This type of LST was widely used in various countries after World War II, and is still used as a useful landing ship by many navies other than the United States. The United States military attempted to increase the speed of LSTs, and in the late 1960s, they adopted a method of landing vehicles and other items by extending a ramp from the upper deck, which was different from conventional ships, and built the New Port Class (full load displacement 8,450 tons) with a narrow bow and a speed of 20 knots. However, it was more difficult to use than conventional ships, and other navies did not build this type of ship. Due to the arms reduction after the end of the Cold War, the aging New Port class was gradually retired from service in the early 1990s, and its role was handed over to newly built landing docks (LPDs), and many of the decommissioned ships were sold to foreign countries.

[Yasuo Abe]

"An Introduction to Naval Ship Studies by Takao Ishibashi - A Thorough Study of the Roots of Warships" (2000, Kojinsha)" ▽ "JPL add Assault from the Sea 1939-45; The Craft, The Landing, The Men (1976, David & Charles)" ▽ "Allied Landing Craft of World War Two (1985, Arms & Armour Press)" ▽ "Gordon L. Rottman Landing Ship, Tank (LST) 1942-2002 (2005, Osprey Publishing Ltd.)" ▽ "Stephen Saunders Jane's Fighting Ships 2010-2011 (2010, Jane's Information Group)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

戦車揚陸艦landing ship tankの呼称。揚陸艦艇の一種で、戦車のほか、各種車両、人員、物資を搭載して遠距離輸送し、自ら海岸に接岸してこれらを直接揚陸させる。箱型に近い船型で、船体内部に車両搭載甲板が設けられ、上甲板にも車両が搭載できる。車両甲板の前端部に下端をヒンジ（丁番(ちょうつがい)）とした道板（ランプ）を設け、その前方に観音開きの門扉をもつ防波構造の艦首部を有し、海岸に接岸後門扉を開き、道板を前方に倒して、車両など搭載物を揚陸する。第二次世界大戦中の1941年にイギリス軍の発想により生まれ、これをアメリカ軍が満載排水量約4000トン、速力11ノットの艦として設計、1942～1945年に1000隻余が大量建造され、大戦中各方面の上陸作戦に使用された。戦後さらに改良され、最終的には満載排水量約7000トン、速力16.5ノットの艦が出現した。LSTのこの型式の艦は第二次世界大戦後広く各国で使用され、アメリカ以外の多くの海軍で有用な揚陸艦として現在も運用されている。アメリカ軍はLSTの高速化を図り、1960年代の後半から、従来型式の艦とは異なる上甲板から道板を出して車両などを揚陸させる方式を採用し、艦首部を細くした船型として速力20ノットを出すニュー・ポート級New Port Class（満載排水量8450トン）を建造したが、従来艦に比べ使いにくく、他国の海軍はこの型式の艦を建造することはなかった。冷戦終結後の軍備縮小により、老朽化しつつあるニュー・ポート級は1990年代初期から逐次退役し、その役割を新造のドック型揚陸輸送艦（LPD）に譲り、除籍艦の多くは外国に売却されている。

［阿部安雄］

『石橋孝夫著『艦艇学入門――軍艦のルーツ徹底研究』（2000・光人社）』▽『J.P.LaddAssault from The Sea 1939-45 ; The Craft, The Landing, The Men（1976, David & Charles）』▽『Allied Landing Craft of World War Two（1985, Arms & Armour Press）』▽『Gordon L. RottmanLanding Ship, Tank (LST) 1942-2002（2005, Osprey Publishing Ltd.）』▽『Stephen SaundersJane's Fighting Ships 2010-2011（2010, Jane's Information Group）』

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